Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-09
Metropolitan Theater.

Edwin Booths temperance here last
night after ten and half years drew out
a brilliant and appreciatiye audience; the
house was crowded; the very few seats
vacant, being sold, and empty probably
because of the severe storm prevailing.
The play was Hamlet" The years since
he was last seen here have not lessened
Mr.. Booths powers, nor modified his
splendid coinage Of art. His Hamlet yet
remains the most mastery of all interpre-
tations of that perplexing character. His
study Of the part has revealed it to him in
a light consistent with the view OF Ham
let's perfect sanity, his assumption of men
tai unbalance and his lack OF firmness in
purpose to promptly do as he was
moved by his own desire and the
dictation Of his fathers spirit. His Ham
let clearly presents this infrmily in the
character of the Danish Prince. The fin
ish of his style, the intensity of his read
ing and unstudied action, the absence of
rant or noise or great physical demonstra-
ton; the thought rather than the action
that gives life TO character in his hands
the perfection of his elocution; his re-
markable ability in Undertaking, as it
were, the text with which he deals; the
marvelousness of his facial expression
the skill with which he works out all the
varied and delicate shadings, and portrays
the deeper emotions of the characters he
personates-al testify to the overshadowing
genius that CLOVIS in his art, and to the
splendid natural dramatic gifts with which
he is endowed, and which have made him
the foremost actor his country has pro-
duced. OF an artist of Booths reputation
of one who has put himself upon the
Hottest plane of excellence in his art it is
not needed that his method should be
analyzed, or his splendid performance be
referred to extendedly. For Booth is known
far and wide as the unchallenged
leader in his art in America, if not
in the world. Mr.. Booths support, so far
as Hamlet develops it, is not satisfying,
nor commensurate with the demands of
his splendid abilities. The better persona
tons were Ophelia, by Miss Emma Vaders );
the Ghost of Charles Barron-the leading
man in support-and the Laertes of Mr..
Sullivan, and the Gravedigger of Mr.. Faw-
cett. All these were played with sensibil-
itv and correct conception of the character
represented. As to whether Mr.. Ahrendt
conceived the true idea of Shake
speare's Polonious will probably remain a
disputed point Accepting it as a correct
INTERPRETATION, his reading was excellent.
This afternoon Mr.. Booth will appear as
Ricbelieu. 1t is less broad than Hamlet
and affords him fewer opportunities to deal
with the finer emotions, but it enables him
to present a wholly different phase of char
acter. and one involving more of cunning
and deception, and much of the subtle
and craft of human nature, and which is
most difficult of presentation with life
like fidelity. But naturalness IS Mr..
Booths rule even at the sacrifice OF the
conventional, for his interpretations are
never strained, and nature is never saeri-
feed in order to advance personal gains.
Tonight Mr.. Booth appears as lago. He
has played the piece here before, and by
many II is deemed superior to any he un-
dertakes. We remember it as a SPLEEN
did picture and an Interpretation OF dis
puted text eonsonant with the highest
Intellectual estimate of it. 1t will posi-
blv be the last time Mr.. Booth will play
10 a Sacramento audience. Here he made
the substantial beginning in his wonderful
career. here he comes after over thirty
wears of success TO present to the people OF
This CITY evidences of the wisdom OF their
Judgment, when, over quarter OF cen
tury ago. they Endorsed him with empha-
sis and predicted for him career OF
brilliancy that would eclipse that oil any
other American dramatic artist.
THE Instantaneous Ink and Stain Ex-